Huge thanks to Teen Vogue for highlighting the unique struggles that young people experiencing homelessness are facing during the pandemic. While Shelter-in-Place orders have changed the way we all live, for young people experiencing homelessness its brought new obstacles.

Here’s an excerpt:

For homeless youth in housing, being confined indoors may prove challenging in other ways. As at Covenant House, youth in shelters must often remember to wear masks in communal spaces. Petering points out that a shared kitchen can present a danger in and of itself, and not knowing how to cook, or not having sufficient pots and pans, may further complicate preparing food or groceries. There are other dangers, too. Since the start of the pandemic, Bedrossian reports that, based on his observations, sexual and labor trafficking has “blown up” and that his staff have begun walking the block around their respective shelters to look out for potential traffickers.

For more, read the full piece from Teen Vogue.